16/10/2025Spoiled Rice, Health Issues, and Rude, Offensive Management — Deeply DisappointedAs someone of Southern American descent, I know good food and can handle bold flavors. I came to this restaurant with a friend, excited to enjoy a meal and expecting quality. What I got instead was spoiled rice that smelt and tasted like garbage, stomach cramps, and a manager who treated me with complete disregard.I ordered the beef mixed rice bowl (£14.80), which included both white and smoked rice. The dish looked great, but from the first bite, I noticed a strong, putrid smell; like decomposing rubbish. With each bite, the taste got worse, and it became clear the rice was spoiled.I politely returned to the counter and asked when the rice had been prepared. I explained my concerns calmly and respectfully. The server stayed completely silent, then simply opened his arm in the direction of the manager. The manager came over to the counter with no greeting, no concern, and no apology.She spoke to me in an unfriendly, condescending, snappy manner, immediately dismissing my complaint. She said I was the first person to mention it and that other customers hadn’t complained and then pulled a smirky face; implying I was either mistaken or lying. When I asked her to smell the rice to demonstrate I wasn’t lying and to show her I had only taken a few mouthfuls as these had a sour, garbage-like odor; she refused.She claimed the rice is fine and is changed every two hours, yet couldn’t say when it was last cooked or replaced.She then tried to explain that the rice was smoked and contained lime, and implied I hadn’t tasted this kind of rice before. She compared the spoiled smell to the natural aroma of smoked rice and suggested I was uncultured for not recognizing it. This was not only inaccurate, but deeply offensive. I know what smoked rice tastes like, and this was not it.Most shockingly, she continued serving the same rice to other customers without checking its freshness or removing it from service. Her tone was defensive and completely unprofessional. I was refunded only for the bowl, not the full meal deal, despite returning the entire dish. It felt like she was more concerned with protecting the restaurant’s image than ensuring food safety and customers health.My friend, who also noticed the strange smell, chose not to complain and ate hers (burrito with rice) and has since been suffering from stomach pains and diarrhoea . I myself had to use the bathroom quite quickly after and continued to experience cramping and toilet issues the following day, my stomach is it knots.Rice safety is no joke. Improperly stored or reheated rice can harbor Bacillus cereus, a bacteria that causes food poisoning, leading to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Spoiled rice typically emits a sour, musty, putrid smell : exactly what I experienced. These symptoms are consistent with what we’ve gone through.The manager acted as if the problem was me ,not the food ,but it absolutely was the food, and it was of extremely poor quality. I will be taking further action and reporting this incident to the appropriate food safety authorities.I strongly advise others not to eat at this premises unless they wish to have diarrhoea. The food safety standards and customer service are unacceptable.
Claim your business profile now and gain access to all features and respond to customer reviews.
